Handling device



L. G. WELCH HANDLING DEVICE Oct. 17, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 29, 1946 WN 9u S.

Oct. 17, 1950 l.. G. WELCH 2,526,309

HANDLING DEVICE Filed Nov. 29, 1946l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 aww/Wto@ Patented ct. 17, 195.0

UNITED STATES PATENT omet HANDLING DEVICE Leonard G.- Weldra Benton, 1.11. 'Application November 29, 19,46, serial N0. 712,919

(ci. 21a-1.1,)

4 Claims.

'This invention relates to devices for removing Tbottles from boxes and containers.

An object of the invention is to provide a device for automatically removing empty bottles :from cases and cartons.

Another object of the invention is to provide 'an automatic device for emptying bottles from ltheir containers, and for positioning 'the bottles .suitably` for being conveyed into a bottle washer :and sterilizer.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for automatically removing bottles from boxes, including means for overturning said boxes 'without Aallowing the bottles to fall out, `means -for removing bottles from said overturned boxes :a few at a time, and means for standing said 'bottles in upright position upon a conveyor beltA preparatory to being moved into a bottle sterilizer and washer. .Y

Still another object of the invention is to provide an automatic device for overturning bottle boxes to remove the bottles therefrom, and so constructed as to turn the empty boxes Vback to their original positions standing upon their closed bottoms. Y

Another object of the invention -is to provide a bottle box emptying device which' is sim-plein design, and effective for the Ipurpose intended, emptying the `bottles out of the boxes without damaging the bottles or the boxes.

Other objects and advantages of theV invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and in which,

"Figure l is an .elevational view in section ofV my improved emptying device,

Figure 2 is :partly :sectioned side elevation of a modified form of the invention,

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the lowerend of the 'bottle' dropping chute showing the doors thereon,

Figure .4 is an elevational view as seen from the left `side of Figure' ;3,'

Figure 5 is a sectional elevationtaken on line 5--5 of Figure 1,

Figure 6 is a sectional elevation taken on line 6 6 of Figure l, and

Figure 7 is a sectional elevation taken on line 7-1 of Figure 2.

Reference may now be had to the drawings, in which like reference characters denote vsimilar parts throughout the several views. As shown, there is a conventional type conveyor 2 having rollers 4 supported on side rails 6 carried upon uprights 8, a box I6 full of empty4 bottles I2 being carried along upon the rollers from left to right as shown in Figure 1. The box then travels onto a regulating conveyor belt I4 extending aboutI driveny drums I6 and vI8 carried upon shafts 2B and 22. Guide rails 24 prevent sidewise vmovement of the boxes I6 as they move along the conveyor.

The boxes I0 then pass off the regulating belt I4 and onto a further series of rollers 2 6, into a guiding chute 28 formed of sheet metal and having its top and bottomwalls Sil and 32 bent as seen to the upper right of' Figure l, into sub-V stantially a U-shape, the walls remaining parallel to cause the boxes kMito pass in the passageway 35 between them.

It is apparent that in passing sageway 34 from its upper portion to its lower portion, the box which before entering the chute 28 was upright with its opening uppermost, is turned through an angle of ldegrees, tothe position shown ,at 36, .with its opening downward, and with its bottles resting upon the inner surface of the outer wall 30 of the chute. The box then continues out of the chute and onto a platform 38 having Va series `of parallel slots formed therein :to allow the bottle necks to drop into the slots, as best 4seen in `Figures -l and 5.

AS the box and its bottles approach the left hand end portion 42 of the platform v38, the bottles ydrop down, neck rst, to an indentation forming a `shoulder fl-4I in the wall 4,6 of the bottle chute 4.8, the veffect beine t0 Cause e :botti-,e ,to strike ,the shoulder 44 and turn- 189 degrees as shown, to land in .the contlited Ylower aortica 5 0 of vthe 1bottle `chute in an upright position `.With its neck up.

yThe `bottle ,has thus landed upon e ,conveyor belt 52 carried upondrurns 54 and supported on rollers so lthat the ,bottles may travel v,upon the Conveyor belt to the riehtand into ,e battle washer and sterilizer, the bottlesbeine thus properly oriented'for this purpose. The empty boxes no-xvmove onto a lseries of rollers 5,8 and .en-ter another chute in .the walls 62 .and 66 of which are ucurved and 1spaced `to .form ,a .passagewayzi therebetween, so that as the boxes move downwards through the chute they are turned through an angle of 180 degrees and are once more in an Yupright position with their openings uppermost,

the boxes moving on rollers 68.

The bottom side opening 'ID of the bottle chute may be provided with swinging doors. 'I2 and 'I4 which open to allow each bottle to pass therethrough as they move along the conveyor belt 5,2.

through the vpas- Y This prevents bottles having irregular bottoms from tipping over at the time of dropping onto the moving belt.

Figures 2 and 7 show a modified form of the invention. The boxes l slide along the rollers 4, onto a platform 16 and move to the right through a twist box indicated generally at 78. The twist box is a, guiding arrangement of wide channel angle iron B onto which the cases l0 slide from the conventional conveyor shown, the channel 80 being curved along its length from left to right to turn the box (il through an angle of 180 degrees to bring it to an upturned position at 82. A bent piece of sheet metal S4 is disposed opposite the `channel 80 to prevent the box I0 from leaving the channel, and to keep the bottles in the box.

The box l0, being at position 82, and inverted, moves along a platform 86 which has slots similar to those of the platform 38 in Figure 5, allowing the inverted bottles to drop into the slots with their necks extending downward through the slots and supported thereon upon their shoulders. A bottle chute like that shown in Figure 1, may then be disposed at the right hand end of the device shown in Figure 2, to drop the bottles in upright position upon a conveyor belt for being moved into the bottle washer. The modied form shown in Figure 2 is advantageous in that it does not require as much head space as that of Figure 1.

Although I have described embodiments of my invention in detail, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in size, shape, material and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim: v

l. A device for removing bottles from boxes, comprising a conveyor for receiving :lled boxes in upright position, a substantially U-shaped box chute for receiving boxes from said conveyor and turning `the boxes through 180 degrees to upside down position, a wall forming part of said box chute and so arranged opposite the open end of the box as to retain said bottles therein during the turning movement of the box, a slotted platform disposed adjacent the lower end of the chute for receiving the inverted box upon its upper surface with the necks of the bottles extending downward through the slots, a bottle chute having its upper open end adjacent the platform for receiving inverted bottles therefrom a few at a time, means in said bottle chute for turning said bottles through 180 degrees into upright position, a conveyor belt disposed beneath the open bottom end of said bottle chute for receiving said upright bottles and conveying them to a bottle washer and the like, and means for turning said inverted boxes to upright position.

2. A device for removing bottles from boxes, comprising a conveyor for receiving filled boxes in upright position, a rectifying belt for taking boxes from said conveyor and passing them along, a substantially U-shaped box chute for receiving boxes from said rectifying belt and turning the boxes through 180 degrees to upside down position, a Wall forming part of said box chute and so arranged opposite the open end of the box as to retain said bottles therein during the turning movement of the box, a slotted platform disposed adjacent the lower end of the chute for receiving the inverted box upon its upper surface with the necks of the bottles extending downward through the slots, a bottle chute having its upper open end adjacent the platform for receiving inverted bottles therefrom a few at a time, a shoulder formed in one wall of said bottle chute upon which said inverted bottles may land and, through the force of gravity be reversed into upright position, a conveyor belt disposed beneath the open bottom end of said bottle chute for receiving said upright bottles, and `conveying them to a washer, doors on said bottle chute to prevent tipping over of said upright bottles, and a second U-Shaped box chute for receiving said inverted empty boxes and turning them through degrees into upright position.

3. In a device for removing empty bottles from a box containing a plurality of bottles including conveyor means for conveying and inverting said box, the improvement comprising a horizontal platform for said conveyor slidably receiving said inverted box, said platform being formed with a plurality of longitudinally-extending guide slots therein slidably receiving the necks of inverted bottles, said platform being formed with a downwardly-directed bottle chute whereby to withdraw said bottles from said box as the latter moves across said chute, a bottle-righting shoulder in said chute below said platform, and said slots terminating at said shoulder whereby said inverted bottles are tripped and rotated through 180 to upright positions for further passage down said chute.

4. In a device for removing empty bottles from a box containing a plurality of bottles including conveyor means for conveying and inverting said box, the improvement comprising a horizontal platform for said conveyor slidably receiving said inverted box, said platform being formed with a plurality of longitudinally-extending guide slots therein slidably receiving the necks of inverted bottles, said platform being formed with a downwardly-directed bottle chute whereby to withdraw said bottles from said box as the latter moves across said chute, and means in said chute for turning bottles passing therethrough to" upright positions.

LEONARD G. WELCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,027,084 Stehli May 21, 1912 1,253,748 Tyson Jan. 15, 1918 1,366,874 Christians Jan. 25, 1921 1,945,758 rIurner Feb. 6, '1934 2,365,007 Rideout et al. Dec. 12, 1944 

